Jedi Gone Wrong
by Jediklutz
Summary: What would it be like to grow up in the Jedi Temple? See an early adventure of some of the Star Wars characters. POV of two OC. PreEp I. Please feel free to read and review. PS...It gets a little darker.
1. Experiments with Gravity

**Background: Okay, this is a little story that was begun by me and a friend. It is told through the point of view of two original characters. My friend Deb created all the sections with the character Undomiel and I created all the sections with Cienanos. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. George Lucas created it and holds all rights to the work. I'm not making any money off of the story…just having some fun with the awesome characters he created!**

**The Beginning…**

**Undomiel**

"Now approaching Coruscant . . ." the voice of the ship's announcer calls through the speakers, sounding rather tinny as it rings through the hallways and echoes off of the metal walls. "All passengers disembarking will be exiting through the portside door. Before leaving, please make certain that all possessions are accounted for . . ."

"The crew assumes no responsibility for items left on the ship." I continue with the prerecorded message. "Anything left will be taken to the Lost and Found. Please contact the Blue Star main offices in Corellia for retrieval. Thank you for flying Blue Star lines, we hope you have enjoyed your travels."

I roll my eyes as I sit up in my bunk; I had heard that message with every star system we had entered since we left Corellia, and I was beginning to wonder how the crew of the ship managed to keep their sanity hearing it day in and day out. As I swing my feet over the side of the bed and jump down to the floor, I heave a sigh and begin to gather my things.

Rifling through my bag to make sure that I still have everything that I left with (which in all honesty wasn't much) I feel my hand wrap around a metal cylinder; pulling it out, I let the cool steel roll back and forth across my palms, trying to get used to the fact that I am going to have to eventually wield the weapon and appear as if I am comfortable with it. As I flip it on, I hear the sharp hiss of the blade and see its familiar green glow; I smile as I stand in ready position, holding the blade upright and feeling the muscles in my arms tense as I move to slice the air to my right. The blade sings and I feel my heart nearly jump out of my chest for joy when a knock on the door sends my arm flying and the blade soaring across the room and through the lamp next to the bed.

"Undomiel . . ." I hear as the door opens; my heart sinks as I see the Jedi Master Tralayn standing in the frame, shaking her head. Her short red hair brushes over her cheeks as her deep blue eyes look at me admonishingly. I curse inwardly at my lack of grace; of all people to have knocked on the door!

"A lightsaber is not a toy, my young Padawan." She says, looking grim.

I scuttle over to where the hilt of the lightsaber lies, now switched off, on the floor near the bed; picking up the pieces of the lamp with one hand and the lightsaber with the other, I raise my head and nod. "Yes Master." I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I am sorry. I will be more careful in the future."

Tralayn hides a smile as I fasten my lightsaber to my belt and pull my cloak onto my shoulders. "Yes . . . you must if you are to continue." She says, serious once more. "Now come . . ." she adds as she turns to exit the room. "The ship has nearly landed."

As if on cue, the ship gives a lurch and I stumble forward, nearly tripping. Tralayn glides through the doorway and down the hall as I place my bag on my shoulder and rush out after her, my boots sounding off of the tile floor as I hurry to catch up. The already dim lights of the hallway fade even more as the Corellian cruiser powers down for landing; other passengers rush about frantically, yelling in languages both familiar and foreign as I struggle to keep sight of my Master, not wanting to disappoint her again.

"Uggh. Come on people. Move." I mutter inaudibly as I see Tralayn turn a corner and vanish into the crowd. Stretching onto tiptoe, I try to look over the heads of the people in front of me, craning my neck and straining my senses. Unfortunately, my height had never given me an advantage in situations like this before, and proved to once again be the bane of my existence. "Ack!" I cry, just as I bump into another female passenger walking through the adjoining hallway, sending us both to the floor in two heaps.

"You know, I thought this Jedi thing was supposed to be all about calm and reason." She says as she eyes my garb and the weapon on the floor. Her brown curls frame her face as she flashes a smile and picks up the lightsaber. "I've just never been that way . . . what's your excuse?" She adds as she chuckles and places the battered metal cylinder in my hand. I take it from her gratefully as we both stand up and I refasten the hilt in its place.

"I have no idea." I say, shaking my head. "I don't even know how I got here in the first place . . . they must have made a mistake or something."

"The Masters don't make mistakes. You've got to have something." She responds as she pushes her hair out of her face and brushes her cloak back into place. It is then that I notice the lightsaber at her side, and I finally put two and two together.

"You're on your way to the Jedi Academy too?" I ask hopefully.

She tilts her head as her eyes sparkle with laughter. "Naw . . . what gave you that idea?" she says.

Feeling rather sheepish, I hang my head. "Oh . . ." I mutter.

"Hey kid. It's alright. I'm just joking." The stranger says. "The name's Cienanos by the way." She adds, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Undomiel." I say, taking her hand and shaking it vigorously. "Nice to meet you too." Just then, I hear the sounds of soft footsteps approaching from behind as a hand is placed on my shoulder. I grimace as I hear a familiar voice from behind me.

"Padawan . . ." Tralayn says, her disapproval evident in her tone. I shoot Cienanos a furtive look as I turn towards the exit ramp, Tralayn's arm steering me from behind.

I am never going to get this right . . . I think to myself, shaking my head slightly.

"It is not so much that you make mistakes, Undomiel." Tralayn says, as if reading my thoughts. "It is that you do not seem to learn from them. Be mindful."

"Yes, Master." I say dutifully.

"I have no doubt that you can become a great Jedi." She continues quietly as we walk down the ramp. "I would not have taken you as a Padawan if I thought otherwise. But you must listen, and heed the words of the masters, if you are to grow. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master." I say again. "I just . . ."

I stop my thought mid sentence as I look around at the scene that has come into view; cruisers and speeders fill the air, their trail ways looking like the veins and arteries of a great metallic circulatory system. Buildings circle the landing pad, stretching into the early evening sky, now blazing orange with the setting sun. The capitol city of the Republic, the home to many of the great ambassadors from across the Universe, as well as the meeting place for the Jedi Council; this is Coruscant.

Cienanos

Watching the young Padawan and her Master disappear, I readjust my cloak once more and check the time.

I realize that I better hurry if I'm going to meet my Master at Ambassador Totin's office. I hurry off in the opposite direction from where the young apprentice disappeared. I wind my way through the maze of street, skyways, and ships that is Coruscant. The Ambassador's office is not far…just a short trip in a skycab and I'm there, on time for once. I see Master Siron waiting in the reception area. Even sitting he is a distinguished looking man. He is tall with short grey hair, a full face and piercing violet eyes. He can present an air of distinction and intimidation. As I approach him, I am reminded of the first time that I met him. I was so frightened. I was a small eleven-year-old child looking at this huge man. However, I realized shortly after I began my apprenticeship that he was a kind man with a dry sense of humor. Really dry, I mean the deserts of Majora Prime are swamps compared to his sense of humor.

"Padawan," he looks closely at me as he addresses me, "Did you bring what I asked you to bring?"

I quickly pull out the package I had been requested to retrieve from Corellia.

"And all went well?" he asks.

"Yes Master, all went well." I reply.

"Good. Then we will report to the Ambassador and return to the Temple."

Our meeting went well. The Ambassador was pleased with our report and we were on our way out of his office when my master began to look thoughtful.

"That meeting went well," he said.

I had noticed that my lightsaber clasp had become tangled in my tunic again and I began to fiddle with it.

"Yes Master, it went really well."

Stupid clasp.

"It went a little too well if you ask me, Nano."

I mean really! Who designs these things! It's always getting caught just to the left of my tunic pocket.

"I didn't notice anything in particular, Master."

We approached the top of the grand staircase leading to the entrance of the building and my fiddling is swiftly becoming and all out war with the clasp. Suddenly, just as I have the clasp in my clutches, my cloak becomes tangled in the buckle of my boot and I begin my rather, uh, speedy decent down the stairs.

Funny thing about falling down a huge staircase, time seems to slow down. All during my descent I kept thinking of that old Jedi lesson: Grace, agility, mastery over ones environment. These are the things a Jedi must remember.

Well, actually, it was more like Grace, THUD, Agility, THUD BANG, Mastery over ones en-CRASH-vironment. These are the things-THUD-a Jedi must remember. SPLAT.

As I lay, sprawled at the bottom of the steps, I hear the sound of Master Siron's footsteps descending the stairs. Sure, take the slow way down.

"Are you injured Nano?"

"No Master, I'm fine. I just landed on my head."

"Ah…good. Nothing you need then."

Everybody's a comedian…..


	2. The Morning Meal

Disclaimer: George…you own it all!

Undomiel9

I take a deep breath as I follow Tralayn across the landing pad towards our transport; she smiles and nods at the pilot as we climb our way up the ramp and into the craft. We make our way to the back of the ship and take seats near the windows as the pilot pulls away

from the landing pad, taking us on our way to the Jedi Temple.

Learn from the masters she says. I think to myself. I'm trying to learn from the masters. Doesn't she see that?

I think of the past 18 years at the Academy; I couldn't deny that I had an uncanny knack for tripping over my own cloak or knocking over statues. It seemed as if every time I finally thought I had managed to learn just how to move and act like a Jedi should, I somehow found myself doing something completely inane . . . and of course,

Tralayn would inevitably be there to see it happen.

O.K. So maybe she doesn't see that. I resolve quietly; I slump back in my seat and lean my elbow on the windowsill, using my hand to prop up my head.

What is that they say . . . the possibility of someone seeing you is directly proportional to the stupidity of your action? I think with a sigh. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tralayn shift in her seat, her brows furrowed in concentration, her eyes closed;

meditation.

I shake my head and turn back to staring out the window; the last light of the day reaches the tips of the buildings, making them almost look like oversized candles. It still boggles me that every inch of the planet is covered in the metal and wire of a city; I strain my eyes looking for a single patch of barrenness, but see nothing. It was a game I had played since I was little . . . I thought that if I could find an empty spot on Coruscant, then somehow I could find the grace and agility that were supposed to be a part of a Jedi's demeanor. I had yet to find either.

As the Temple comes into view out the starboard window, Tralayn stands and gathers her cloak about her shoulders, pulling her hood into place over her head. I stand and do the same, slinging my bag over my shoulder once more.

"Thank you." Tralayn says as we step on to the Temple grounds. The pilot smiles and heads back into his ship as my Master turns to face me once more. "I must meet with Master Yoda." She tells me, her mouth twisting into a half smile. "May I assume it is safe to leave you to your own devices for the time being?"

"Yes Master." I say, glad that I might finally get some time to myself. "I have some documents to pick up at the Library."

"Very well." Tralayn responds, turning to walk down the hall. I turn in the opposite direction, readjusting my hood as I head off towards the library. The light outside fades to nothing, and the indoor lights flick on as I make my way down the corridor, humming to myself. After a few moments' walking, I feel my bag begin to slip on my shoulders.

"Oh, for the love of . . ." I mutter, giving the straps a fierce tug. Wrong move; both straps snap in half, sending the bag to the floor, and its contents sprawling. I smack my head with a palm as I bend down and begin to stuff the random items back into the canvas.

As I stand up and tuck the pack under my arm, I see Cienanos at the far end of the hallway; she gives a smile and waves, and I can't help but smile and wave back. I reach the library feeling considerably better, and after retrieving the needed documents, I

head to my room and collapse onto the bed, happy that the day is finally over.

Cienanos

I woke up early the next day. After dressing in a clean tunic and pants, I pulled on my boots and pulled my hair back. I examined my reflection in the mirror long enough to see the huge black eye I received from my little experiment with gravity. I sighed and left my quarters to get some breakfast. As I passed the gardens I ran into Masters Nim and Matila, two female Jedi Masters who are good friends with Master Siron. Master Nim is a short, pretty woman with a feisty nature. Master Matila is taller with long blonde hair and a kind, pretty face. Both looked at me with concern when they saw my eye.

"Cienanos, what happened to your eye?" Master Matila asked.

"Oh..nothing. My belt clasp broke yesterday."

They exchanged confused looks and after a brief conversation they excused themselves to finish some work. I continued on my way and soon met Master Windu in the hall.

"Off to breakfast young Padawan?" he asked.

"Yes Master Windu."

"Tell me, Cienanos, what happened to your eye?"

"My belt clasp broke Master."

"I see," he said smiling faintly. "You should be more careful with your belt - they can be dangerous."

"I will." We continued walking until we reached the next hall. He turned left as I continued straight.

"Remember Cienanos, watch that belt."

I smiled as he walked away. I hadn't realized just how hungry I was until I walked into the common room and smelled the food. I quickly filled my plate and look around for a place to sit. I spied Undomiel - the young Padawan from the day before - sitting alone at a small table. She seemed to be engrossed in a data pad. I walked over to her table.

"Would you like some company?" I inquired cheerfully. I apparently startled her because her fork, which had been heading for her mouth, ended up flying out of her hand and landing on the tray of one of the younger students. The poor fellow looked at the fork in frightened amazement.

"OH NO!" she cried. "I think I scared him!"

I looked again in the direction of the runaway fork and shrugged. "Don't worry Undomiel…he's six…he'll get over it."

I chuckled, "Besides, it will give the little ones something to talk about. Uh…why are you staring at me?"

"I was just wondering what happened to your face Cienanos."

"First off…its Nano.."

"OH! That's so pretty!"

"Thank you…It means sucking chest wound in my native tongue. That's a joke Undomiel," I added seeing the horrified expression on her face. "Secondly, they eye is the result of my belt clasp breaking which lead to an unfortunate run-in with gravity."

She looked confused. Such is the nature of Nano…leave em confused is what I always say.

"I fell down some stairs and went boom."

"Oh. I see."

"So, what are you reading on this fine morning?"

She looked down on the data pad in her hand. "This is just some history texts I'm reading for fun. It's really interesting…"

At this point she went into a thirty-minute explanation on the rise and fall of just about every civilization in recorded time. I was just at the point of thinking that this girl could put Master Yoda to shame when she broke off in the middle of her sentence and was looking over my shoulder. I followed her gaze and found she was staring at a well-built young man who had just entered the room.

"Nano…who is that?"

I looked at her shocked. "You're kidding right? You have never heard of Obi-Wan Kenobi? The Perfect Padawan? I know you must read a lot Undomiel…but come on…"

She blushed. "Of course I've heard of him…the analysis he did on the Glosi civilization was wonderful. I had just never seen him. He's always away on missions. I wonder if he would like to join us. I have lots ideas I would like to discuss with him."

I looked down at my plate. "Uh…with your present company…he would probably prefer not to join you."

"What? I don't understand."

I looked up at her…my comfort level dropping like a lead weight. "Well…the two of us don't really get along that well."

"Why? You seem like you must get along with everyone."

"Just one of those misunderstandings that happens…in life…."

I noticed that she was starting to smile. "What happened Nano?"

"There was this misunderstanding a couple of years ago…It appears that a slime devil was let loose in his quarters when he was away with his Master on a mission…for some reason, he seems to think that I was responsible…"

"Did you?"

"Well…yeah…but that's besides the point. Then there was the time I almost impaled him in a training exercise. And don't even ask about his hair! Undomiel! Are you laughing at me!"

"No…not at you near you…" she replied as she whipped away her tears of laughter. "No wonder you don't get along."

"Yeah…well some people are just more sensitive about that kind of stuff," I said, beginning to smile myself. That is until I saw Kenobi walking my way…uh…oh…

As he approached the table I could see he was annoyed. I quickly ran through my index of practical jokes I had pulled since arriving back on planet and heaved a sigh of relief. I hadn't done anything to Kenobi…yet.

He stopped at our table and looked right at me. "Nano…," he stopped talking. Something had gotten his attention. "What happened to your eye?"

"Nothing much Kenobi…just a battle of epic proportions…"

"With a belt clasp," Undomiel added snickering.

"Not helping Domie…not helping."

He looked puzzled for a minute and then continued, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about my environmental controls in my quarters going crazy, would you?"

Ah….I knew I had forgotten something. I looked at him with my best look of total innocence. "No…did you have a problem?"

"Oh…nothing major…It's was just raining in my room for an hour this morning."

You know…it's the little things in life that really make you happy….sunshine…flowers….flooding another persons room…the little things…

"Well, I hope everything is working properly now," I said.

He just narrowed his eyes and walked away. I caught Undomiel's gaze as she snickered.

"You're bad."

I smiled, "I know. But I'm also fun."


	3. The Daily Grind

**Disclaimer: George rules...he is far more creative than I. **

**Undomiel**

As Obi-Wan turns and leaves the room, I find myself grinning wildly and feeling rather giddy; Cienanos looks at me, and waves a hand in front of my face, trying to pry my gaze away from the departing Padawan.

"Hello!" she says, giving my head a gentle rap. "Domie! Anyone in there?"

I shake my head and snap back to reality, feeling rather sheepish, but still delirious nonetheless.

"I have to know where he got his arguments for his Bothan Revolution Thesis." I say dazedly. "Some of those manuscripts must have been ages old! And not to mention, they . . ." I stop as I hear Cienanos chuckle again and get up from her seat.

"Domie. I think you need help." She says, as she gives me a friendly swat on the back. "See you around." She adds as she swings her leg over the bench and strides off towards the door.

I bristle slightly at the remark and look back down at my plate, fiddling with my fork; the young lad from earlier seems to be quite wary . . . he moves over slightly as I jab the utensil repeatedly onto the plate in front of me. After the handle cracks in half, I give it up as a useless effort, and stand to leave, picking up the tray and sighing.

As I step over the bench that served as our seats, my cloak catches on a piece of splintered wood, and I crash down face first; I lose my grip on the tray and it falls to the ground as I feel the wind leave my lungs in a rush. All the eyes in the common room are on me while I rush to pick up the cracked dishes and my datapads, and head towards the exit; keeping my head down, I shove the large oak door open and sprint through into the hallway.

Early morning light fills the corridor, giving it a decidedly jovial warmth; were it not for my decidedly grey mood, I would have found the sight welcoming, but as it was, it only made me feel worse. I lean back against the wall, letting myself fall to a seat on the floor.

"Stupid cloak!" I mutter as I take the coarse material into my hands and pull at it frantically; the datapads slip to the ground and I let my head hit the wall with a soft thud, not really caring who is around to see.

I sit there a few moments, not really paying attention to anything, or anyone, and it is in precisely this state that another young Padawan by the name of Aeryn finds me. Smirking, she bends down and picks up the datapads.

"I believe these are yours, Undomiel?" She says, mockery dripping from every word. Her eyes flash a shade of red as she tosses her hair out of her face and throws the datapads into my lap. "I'd be more careful with these if I were you." She adds as she saunters down the hall.

"Do you even know what these are used for?" I say under my breath as I pick myself up off the floor. Dusting myself off and resituating my cloak, I look out into the courtyard below; a group of students sits in a circle, whispering and chattering amongst themselves as one of the Masters inspects their lightsabers.

"Oh Great!" I cry, dashing down the hall towards the stairwell. I was going to be late for training exercises again . . .

**Cienanos**

What a wonderful morning! Started off with a good meal, a good conversation and my early morning training exercise went really well. I had even run into my friends MM and Amatou on the way to the library. MM is another padawan with a great sense of humor and a very fun nature. Her real name isn't MM. That's just a nickname I gave her when we were children because I could never actually pronounce her real name. She once told me that for my species to actually pronounce it correctly…we would need two additional tongues or something like that. Amatou and I go way back. She and I have been friends forever. She is tall, athletic and if I'm not mistaken will probably pass her trials within the next year or so. I was glad to see her because more and more she is away on missions with her master. We were in the middle of discussing potential missions when I heard a voice call my name. I turned to see Master Siron striding down the hall and if looks could kill the one he was giving me could put me on the endangered species list. MM and Amatou exchanged glances.

"Nano, we better go on without you…it looks like you may be here for a little while," said MM. Amatou snorted, "Did you mess with Kenobi again? I told you to leave that boy alone. See you later Nano." And with that they left. Lucky.

As I watched my friends in their hasty retreat, Master Siron reached me and looked down with his sternest look.

"Nano…"

"Yes Master?"

"It has come to my attention that you have been messing with the environmental controls again."

I looked down. It's amazing how interesting ones shoes become when you are getting lectured.

"Is that true?"

"Yes…. but…."

"No buts Nano…I don't mind the occasional prank but flooding young Kenobi's room was uncalled for. Now you head to the library and do the research I requested. I don't want to hear of anything of this nature happening again." And with that, he strode away.

What a horrible morning….

I walked into the massive library…the Jedi Archives. Here one can find any information on any topic. It is larger than any other body of knowledge in the galaxy. Naturally, I want nothing to do with it.

I sat down at one of the station and began trying to find the information that my master requested. As I was searching, Jocasta Nu, the Jedi Archivist, joined me.

"Cienanos, I usually don't see you here…are you lost?" she smiled as she asked.

"I'm in here…...every once in a while…...when I have to be. Actually, I'm here doing research for Master Siron. However, I'm not getting very far."

"Well, it helps if you know how to work the data pads properly. They turn on like this." She pressed a small point on the bottom of the large station and it sprang to life and she quickly retrieved the first piece of information I needed. I tried to look composed.

"I knew that…..uh...can you do it again?" I asked sheepishly.

She smiled at me and quickly showed me some fast ways to retrieve the information. She left me to finish my work and I quickly became engrossed in finding the histories, political backgrounds, and culture of several planets. Well, you learn something new everyday. When I finished, I gathered up all the datapads containing the information I had retrieved from the system and left. I passed Jedi Nu one final time and she smiled again…

"Hope to see you soon Cienanos. Knowledge is never something to be feared."

"Thank you for your assistance," I replied.

Okay…so maybe the day won't be that bad after all…

**Undomiel**

As I run at full speed towards the courtyard, I can't help but wonder, once again, how on earth I had been chosen to attend the Academy; I had been living on Coruscant since my second birthday, and still felt ill at ease in the planet city.

You stood just staring at all the buildings. Tralayn had once told me. It took us a half hour just to get you off the landing pad and onto the transport. And trying to get you to leave Corellia . . . I didn't know a two year old could put up such a fight.

Corellia: my home. Our last mission had taken Tralayn and I there, to the capitol city; but even then I felt as if I had been thrown into a whirlwind.

Well, what did you expect? I hear Tralayn in my mind again. Your family were farmers. When we found you, you were out in the field dusting crops with your father and brother. . . a big city is going to be different from a row of corn.

Either way, I'm shorter than everything around me . . . I think to myself as I finally reach the entrance to the courtyard. I stop briefly at the white marble archway, inspecting the scene and hoping I am not too late. I heave a sigh of relief as I see the Master's back turned, investigating one of my fellow student's lightsabers; the sigh turns into a smile as my gaze continues around the circle.

Just to the left of the master, a young Padawan sits holding his lightsaber gently, his head bowed in concentration; his curly, sandy blond locks fall into his eyes as he rolls the hilt back and forth in his hands. As he looks up and notices me standing in the archway, he smiles and waves, motioning to the empty space next to him. His green eyes glint as I rush over and deposit myself on the floor beside him.

"Hello Domie. Late again?" the Padawan says, a chuckle in his voice.

"Hi Gabe." I respond, shaking my head; leave it to one of my best friends to make a crack like that. "If you must know, I had a run in . . ." I add as I nod my head to my now bruised knee.

"Oh. I do apologize. How did the bench fare? I hear it's a toughie you know . . ." Gabe says, throwing me a sideways glance.

"Why you!" I say, giving him a swat to the shoulder; I am laughing so hard that I don't even notice the master approach from my left.

"Undomiel! Your lightsaber please." I hear through my chuckling; it was Master Nim! I take in a deep breath and collect myself as I unclasp my lightsaber from my belt and hand it to her. After a moments' inspection, she hands it back to me. "Good. Everything is in order." She says, smiling. "And try to be on time next time Undomiel." she adds quietly as she walks to the center of the group.

The early morning light envelopes her small frame as she reaches the center of the courtyard and turns to face the Padawans; from the look on her face, it is evident that the day's lesson will be no easy task.

"Today we will be sparring." Master Nim says, looking at each of us in turn. "Now, I am going to be placing you with your sparring partner . . ."

A chorus of groans and grumbling erupts as all the Padawans object to the proposed plan. Master Nim just smiles and continues, her voice carrying over everything else.

"I will place you with your sparring partner." She repeats. "Now, listen carefully. Gabe, I want you with Noron . . ."

Gabe shoots me a furtive look as he walks over to the young Bothan on the opposite side of the courtyard. I just smile and mouth "you know I could take you anyway . . . so it's probably for the best." He rolls his eyes and shakes his head as he and his partner get into ready position. I pay little attention as Master Nim rattles off the names of the other students; another young Bothan and a Carnassian are placed together, as are another human and her friend from Tatooine. I am just about to think that perhaps I had been forgotten when I hear my name.

"Undomiel, I want you with Aeryn." Master Nim says. My eyes go wide and I begin to protest as I see the little blonde appear from behind the master, smirking.

"No buts." Master Nim says. I groan as I pull my lightsaber into ready position and approach Aeryn; every part of me wants to just run for the hills, but that unfortunately is not an option. I opt for concentrating on the Force and trying to calm my nerves instead.

"BEGIN!" Master Nim shouts; within seconds the air is filled with the crash and crackle of the blades. I tense as I feel the pressure of Aeryn's lighsaber against my own, pushing me back into the wall.

This is no time to be clumsy OR weak. I think to myself, breathing deeply and trying to let the Force control my actions instead of my head. You can do this. You know you can. Just concentrate . . .

Before I know what I am doing, I advance on Aeryn, blade flying madly; a series of parries and thrusts sends her flailing back into the opposite wall. I stand in shock for a moment as I see her fall to her knees, gasping for breath and looking at me with blazing eyes. Gabe looks on astonished as Master Nim approaches from behind.

"Very nice Undomiel." She says, smiling. "That is all for today!" She announces; Gabe comes rushing over as Aeryn stands and glares.

"Lucky shot." Aeryn says, stalking off under the archway with her friends.

Gabe sticks out his tongue at her vanishing form as I reclasp my lightsaber to my belt, feeling somewhat dazed and just a little confused. I stand for a moment, thinking, and Gabe takes the opportunity to speak his mind.

"Wow! I've never seen blade work like that! That was incredible!" He cries, picking me up with a fierce hug. "You should have seen the look on her face!"

"Gabe! Put me down!" I shriek, swatting at his shoulders. "And I did see the look on her face." I add as he unceremoniously dumps me on my rear; I roll my eyes as I extend a hand up to him. "A little help here?" I ask. Gabe's eyes sparkle as he helps me up and I dust myself off.

"Come on!" He says, pulling at my arm. "I have something in the Library I want to show you!" I can't help but be curious as the two of us bolt down the hallway towards the Library, my arm stretched as far as it can go and my feet moving as fast as they can.

Cienanos

I stood outside Master Siron's room with the data pads. I pressed the button that activates the chime. He opened the door with a smile on his face.

"Ah...Nano!" he said. "I have good news! I have been granted permission to take you on a training mission!"

This was good news. Really good news. I hadn't been allowed on a training mission since that horrible accident three years ago. It was horrible but the other Jedi team was with us is doing much better now. They should be released from the medical ward any day now. Fire is such an unpredictable thing...anyway...

I looked at him with excitement. "Are we going with another team?"

His smile widened even more...

"Yes we are..."

YES! ANOTHER TEAM!

"And we may even get flame retardant clothing."

EVEN BETTER!

"Really?" I asked. "Who are we going with? Master Yoda? Master Windu? Master Nim?"

"No...we are going with Master Qui-gon and Obi-wan."

NO! Now this isn't fair!

"So you better be on your best behavior Nano...this could be very important."

"Yes Master..."

I knew I should have stayed in bed today...


	4. Another Day, Another Credit

**Undomiel9**

"Gabe! Careful or you're going to take my arm off!" I cry as my friend pulls me down the hall at breakneck speed; I feel as if my shoulder is going to be conveniently separated from its socket at any moment, but this seems to have little effect on the blond haired Padawan's speed.

"Domie! You're going to love this. I promise. Just trust me." Gabe says, his eyes sparkling.

"Why am I suddenly worried?" I ask, flashing a smile; Gabe just gives me a look and continues down the hall. Within a few more moments, we arrive at the library just in time to see Nano walk out with Master Siron.

"Wonder where they're going." I mutter under my breath as I watch the two departing forms turn the corner and Gabe tugs my arm once again. We walk through the doors of the library and Gabe quickly pulls me in the direction of the History section.

"What are you up to?" I want to know. "You hate this section."

"Shhh!" Gabe admonishes, putting a hand over my mouth. "I know I do . . . but you don't" He adds with a smile; I bite the inside of his hand just as I see Jocasta Nu heading in our direction. Gabe takes his hand off of my mouth, cursing inwardly as she makes her way towards us, smiling.

"Undomiel, so nice to see you." Jocasta says kindly. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh, no. That's o.k." I respond, trying not to laugh at the fact that Gabe is now shaking his hand wildly and muttering under his breath.

Nu smiles and nods her head. "And I trust that that information on the foundation of Coruscant was helpful?" She asks.

"Very much." I say, smirking; Gabe is now glaring at me and showing me the large red teeth marks on his hand. "I was able to glean a lot from them."

"Well, that's wonderful." Jocasta says, beaming. "If there is anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask."

"Of course. Thank you . . . you have been more than kind." I say, smiling. Jocasta turns to head back to the front of the library and Gabe finally lets loose.

"Why you!" He shouts, lunging at me and laughing.

"Now now Gabe." I say, ducking out of his way. "I thought you had something to show me."

Gabe stops mid move and a thoughtful look crosses his face as he remembers our original reason for heading to the library.

"Right!" He says, taking my arm again. "Over here."

We head down the aisles of the library, passing row after row as Gabe looks for the right shelf; after what seems like an eternity, Gabe finally turns down an unmarked row and stops to bend down and pick up a datapad. Smiling, he turns it on and hands it over to me.

I feel my jaw drop as I read the title:

Empire Lost; The Rise and Fall of the Runik Civilization

"Gabe!" I cry as I finally find my voice and fling my arms around him in a hug. "This is great!"

**Cienanos**

I stand in my room packing the final pieces of equipment in my small bag...everything fits! At least That is one thing going my way today...

A mission with Obi-wan...oh...how do I get sooo lucky! I'm wondering if I could subject myself to some torture instead.

sigh Oh well...I had better make the best of it. Or Master Siron will have my head.

I shut off the lights and leave my room. I need to be at the ship in about 5 standard minutes so I had better hurry. I quickly make my way through the maze of halls leading out of the Temple and onto the walkways of Coruscant. I hurry along one of the walkways and hail a skycab. By the time I reach the landing platform (on time I might add), everyone is waiting for me. Obi-wan and Master Qui-gon are dressed in plain traveling clothes but Master Siron and myself are dressed in our Jedi robes.

As I approach, Master Siron turns to the other two. "Why don't you go ahead and start the preflight checks. I need to speak with my padawan for a moment."

Hmmm...what's this about?

I watch as the other two Jedi walk aboard our transport. Master Siron turns to me...

"Nano..."

"Yes Master?"

"The bag..."

"Huh?"

"Give me the bag."

I hand him my bag, still confused. He begins going through my supplies and pulling out some necessary equipment and tossing it onto the platform. As he indicates the growing pile of supplies he looks at me, "Nano! What is all this?"

"Supplies Master...things we may need on the planet."

"Ahh...I see...and why would we need fake rankor vomit on this exercise?"

"Well...you never know..."

"And the sneezing powder? Is that necessary?"

"That is VITAL Master! Why...if you ever find yourself needing..."

"Nano!" he interrupted. "I'm telling you one last time. Leave Obi-wan alone. He is one of your classmates. You should treat him with respect. You never know...one day...your life could depend on him!"

I find myself looking down at my feet again.

"Now get on the ship. And leave him alone!"

I pick up my bad with what is left in it...clothes...food...medical supplies...yeah...like I'm going to need those! I start walking onto the ship. I see Obi-wan out of the corner of my eye. He's trying to look interested in the fire suppression system on the ship. Oh GREAT! He heard the whole thing. Our eyes meet for just a second...mine narrow...this is going to be a long trip...


	5. Mission Impossible

**Undomiel9**

After checking out the book, Gabe and I head out of the Library and find a place in the commons area to relax until our next classes; I sit pouring over the new find as Gabe looks over at me and rolls his eyes.

"Listen to this..." I say. "Apparently, the Runik Civilization was one of the earliest civilizations developed in Rho sector. Their king died at a really young age, leaving only his child son to ascend the throne..."

"But I didn't think any of the communities in Rho sector were monarchies." Gabe muses, laying down on the grass and putting his hands behind his head. I swat at his stomach with the book and chuckle.

"They aren't now." I explain. "But back in ancient times, monarchies were really common." Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I see Nano walk by with Master Siron, looking none too pleased; tucking the copy of Empire Lost under one arm and grabbing Gabe with the other, I stand up and head off in pursuit.

At the landing pad, we see Master Siron stop Nano and make her empty her bag.

"Wow, has she got the bag of tricks." I hear Gabe mutter. "And she wonders why Kenobi doesn't like her. If I used that fake vom..." I clap a hand over Gabe's mouth to quiet him.

"Gabe...too much information." I say simply, just as I see Obi-Wan and Master Qui-gon board the ship. "Oh, this is too perfect. Nano's on a mission with Kenobi? This is going to be fun. Come on!" I add as I grab Gabe once again and dash across the landing pad back to the dormitories.

A few hours later and a few credits poorer, Gabe and I find ourselves crawling through the ventilation systems of the dormitories, slime devils in tow.

"Eww. This is not what I had in mind when I came up with this idea." I mutter as I push one of the little green buggers out of my way.

"Well, you should have thought about that before you gave the vendor fifteen credits each for them." Gabe retorts, crawling behind me, trying to wipe newly deposited slime off of his face.

"I don't want to hear it." I say, shaking my head and falling down onto my stomach. "Let's just find Kenobi's room, and get this done."

Gabe crawls up next to me and points at the grate directly below me. "This one is Kenobi's." he says, pulling out a metal rod and placing it under the grate. Tugging frantically, he tries to get the grate open while I make sure that none of the slime devils wander off. I scurry away after one just as I hear a small squeak and a thud issue from Gabe's position. Turning around, I see him sitting on his haunches holding his head with the grate open. "Done." He says.

"Good." I respond, grabbing one of the slime devils by the leg and tossing him into the room; Gabe does the same with his charge and closes the gate securely. We watch for a few minutes as the slime devils begin their work of destroying Kenobi's room.

"Ooh. He's not going to be happy about that." I hear Gabe mutter as I start back down the ventilation shaft; now on to Nano. After a few more minutes of crawling and cussing, we reach the grate to Nano's room. Gabe opens it and I slip down into the room, landing in a pile of laundry. The rest of the room is similarly adorned; the bed sits unmade, and there is a pile of papers around and in the garbage can.

"Wow." I say as I head over to the temperature controls; I select Monsoon from the dial and dart back over to the open grate. Gabe reaches down to pull me up through just as the rain starts. I grin as I think of what mayhem this will cause when the two Padawans return.

**cienanos**

I headed to the rear or the ship. I didn't think I need to be around either Jedi Master or the perfect Padawan right now. In the very back of the ship is a small lounge with sleep couches and communications equipment. I walked through the doorway and plopped down in a chair near one of the communications stations. I leaned back in the chair and let out a deep breath. Okay…just a few days…a few long…long days…and it will be over. I sighed as I pulled out my lightsaber and started to clean it and double check the circuitry.

All I would need now is for my lightsaber to go on the fritz. I begun pulling more tools out of my bag and I set to work. After examining the crystal and the power source to make sure they are still in excellent condition I set to work on the circuits. I could feel the tension leave my body as I work. After what seemed like just a few minutes, I looked at the chronometer on the wall. An hour had passed and I couldn't believe it. I started to reassemble my lightsaber when I heard someone walking towards the lounge.

I looked up and see Obi-wan Kenobi standing in the doorway. He paused a moment as if trying to decide something. Finally, he decided to speak.

"Cienanos, could I speak to you for a moment?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Sure, what do you need?" I ask, returning to my work.

"I just wanted to let you know that I never told your Master about the flood in my quarters. I don't know how he found out but I never intended for you to get in trouble."

"Kenobi, I never thought that you did inform him and I'm pretty sure I never said anything to infer that."

I glanced up at Kenobi and notice for the first time that he looks very uncomfortable talking to me. A deep blush had begun to rise in his cheeks.

"Well…I just wanted to let you know."

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Master Siron wanted me to give you these datapads to go over and Master Qui-gon wanted me to let you know that we will be arriving on planet in about 4 hours."

He set the datapads on the nearby couch and started out the door. I watched Kenobi head out of the door and realize that I should have been nicer. Oh well…maybe next time. I walked over to the couch and picked up the datapads that would outline our training mission. It was sometime the practice of the Council to sometimes outline what activities the Masters and their Apprentices would focus on during the exercise. As I read my eyes bulged out. We were supposed to split up. One team trying to track the other. However, instead of having a master and an apprentice against another master and another apprentice…it was going to be Padawans versus the Masters. I was going to have to work with Kenobi. That is what Master Siron had meant. There was only one way I could deal with this….

Thud…thud….thud….thud…

"Cienanos…. why are you banging your head against the bulkhead?"

I turned to see Master Qui-gon standing in the doorway. Why do Jedi Masters walk so quietly? I mean really…why can't they go banging around a ship like normal people?

"Just preparing myself for the mission…"

"Ah…I see. I often need to knock some sense into myself before a mission as well." The tall graceful man walked over to one of the sleep couches and sat down. "However, you will find in time that on missions there will be more than enough people who will be willing to help you with that. Why just a few days ago I ran into an individual who tried to knock quite a bit of sense into me…. several times."

I had to smile despite my mood. Master Qui-gon had a way of putting humor into any situation.

"I can only hope that I get to meet such nice people someday," I replied.

"Well…only if you're lucky. Now about the mission, I know that you aren't really happy about it and judging by my Padawan's current mood I don't think he is very happy about it either. However, I just wanted to stress the importance of it before we begin. The council assigns training missions for a reason. I know why Obi-wan and I have been assigned to this mission and I would suggest that you focus on why you might have been assigned to this mission."

"But I already know why I have been assigned to this mission."

Master Qui-gon raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he said clearly surprised.

"I think it has something to do with the time I accidentally tripped over Master Yoda and knocked Master Windu into the lake…but that might just be a guess."

Master Qui-gon chuckled softly. "That could be…that could be. Well, I have to prepare for the mission. I suggest you do the same…without the bulkhead this time."

I smiled as he left the lounge. He was right…whatever lay ahead…whatever he and Master Siron had in store for us…I needed to prepare for it.

**Undomiel9**

Gabe pulls me up through the ventilation grate and into the shaft as I hear the sweet sounds of water falling and wind rushing about Nano's quarters; I give myself a mental pat on the back as we head back down the small tunnel to my quarters, making sure to keep as quiet as possible. Suddenly, my conscience flares as I realize that in the past few minutes, I have managed to nearly completely destroy two of my fellow Padawan's sleeping quarters.

"You know ... Nano and Kenobi might not be terribly pleased when they return to find what we've left them." I whisper, trailing along after Gabe; he snorts and turns his head just enough to see me in his peripheral vision.

"Oh, come on Domie." he says. "You've known them for what, three days, and they've already managed to wreak havoc in your life ... or did you forget the gift that Nano left for you?"

I groan at the reminder of the changes Nano had made to my datapad; not only had she managed to move most of my files from their original homes, but she had also somehow renamed every single one of them in an attempt to get me "noticed" on the network, or so she said.

Nano! "Kenobi stinks" and "Go Green, vote Yoda for Jedi Council" are not what I had in mind!" the memory of the subsequent discussion flashes through my mind.

"I guess you're right." I muse, still feeling just the slightest bit guilty.

"You still feel guilty, don't you?" Gabe admonishes; he always did have a canny knack for knowing what I was feeling, but I guess that just came with spending nearly every minute of free time that I had with him. Still, I can't help but grumble as I duck to avoid a low-hanging beam.

"Quiet you!" I retort, mentally kicking myself.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Mr. I Have No Conscience quips. "You know they'll just think it was each other. And just think of the looks on their faces when they get home." He adds, chuckling in spite of himself.

I can't help but smile as a vision of Nano, standing drenched flashes into my mind, along with a similar one of Obi-Wan chasing after the slime devils. "I suppose you're right." I concede as we finally arrive to the grate to my room. "See you tonight at dinner then?" I ask as I pry the metal bars up and out of their place.

"Sure." Gabe tells me, flashing his infamous smile. "But you might want to clean up first." he says, shooting a look at my hair; I reach up and feel the sticky residue that only a slime devil could bring and groan.

"Right." I say, moving into position to return to my quarters; nodding at Gabe's head, I smile. "You might be able to use a shower too." I add, as I swing my feet into the hole and let myself drop into my room; my boots hit the floor and I land steadily on my feet, rolling my shoulders and smiling.

I gather my things and head to the shower, humming to myself and thinking about what the rest of the day holds. If I'm lucky, I might just get some free time to read more of that book. I think to myself optimistically; my hopes are soon dashed with the recollection that I have another training exercise before dinner: Master Nim had decided she wanted to see me again sooner than the others. I guess it will have to wait. I muse.

Back in my room, I pull on my tunic and rebraid my hair, making sure that everything is in proper order. Lacing up my boots and strapping on my lightsaber, I make my way to the exercise room, wondering why Master Nim called this extra session; I have to fight my first instinct to turn tail and run when I see Aeryn standing in the room as well.

"Oh, don't even tell me ..." I mutter underneath my breath.

"Yes, Padawan." I hear Master Nim say from behind me. I roll my eyes and follow her into the room dutifully, praying that this will be short.

"Now, I've called you two here because of something I saw yesterday afternoon." Master Nim begins to explain. "And suffice it to say, I am slightly unnerved and worried."

Aeryn rolls her eyes as I look down and toe the ground nervously; I had never been one to enjoy conflict, especially with an authority figure. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know Gabe is sitting in his quarters, thinking I need to lighten up, but I still cannot get past the fact that Master Nim and the rest of the Jedi Council will be deciding whether or not I live out the rest of my days serving the Jedi order, or back on Coruscant, dusting crops.

"Undomiel ..." the Jedi Master continues. "I have never seen such blade work from you. It was astounding! And yet, I have the feeling that your reaction was provoked by something other than the Force ... that you let your emotions take over ... "

I continue toeing the ground as I nod my head in affirmation of Master Nim's suspicions. "Yes. I wasn't entirely calm, Master." I admit, feeling about three feet tall.

"You know you must learn to control your feelings, Padawan." Master Nim says, sounding concerned, but not angry; I look up and see her eyes expressing worry, not fury, and I let out a small sigh of relief. "That is the path to the Dark Side, and you must not start down that road ..." Aeryn snickers as she listens to what she thinks to be a declaration of my own failure; she is quickly put in her place when Master Nim turns to her, her face hardening somewhat.

"And yet to be the one provoking the other ... " she says, looking stern. "That is far worse. To thrive on the misfortune of others, and relish their anger ... that is something to be feared, young one."

Aeryn stands in shock for a moment, taking in what the Jedi Master has said; her confusion quickly turns to bitterness as she huffs and crosses her arms in front of her.

"I have brought you here now to warn you against continuing in this manner." Master Nim says, turning us towards the doorway. "Now, let these words be remembered."

I nod and thank my teacher as we pass out into the hall; my stomach grumbles in a reminder of the time and Master Nim smiles, nodding in the direction of the cafeteria. "Now, go. And make sure you don't have too much hot chocolate." she adds, giving me a wink; knowledge of my frequent stops at the Cafe must be widespread. I smile back as she closes the door to the exercise room behind us, staying back for solitary training.

"Don't think that this is going to change anything." Aeryn snips, passing by me, knocking me into the wall as she does so.

"I wouldn't dream of it." I quip quietly as I head off towards the cafeteria to meet Gabe; he's going to love this one!

**Cienanos**

Three hours later we were all seated in the lounge. Master Qui-gon handed both Kenobi and I data pads. He exchanged a quick look with Master Siron. Was that a smile? Oh great! I glanced down at my data pad and began to call up the information about the planet. As the Team 1, the masters would receive an hour head start and they received the geographic information about the planet at the beginning of the trip. We as the team that was to try and find them would receive our information later. I guess to give us something to read as we sit in the ship. I glanced through the information about the planet. Lohen…a planet filled with dense tropical vegetation, abundant wildlife and no present civilization. The data pad stated that it was once an outpost but that it had been deserted for years. The only people who came here now were the Jedi for training missions such as this. I looked up as Master Siron began to speak.

"The mission is to last three days. Qui-gon and I will leave the ship first. After an hour, the two of you will follow and attempt to catch us. There are no rules that we have to stay together. You may have to hunt one of us and then the other. At all times you are to work at as a team…" He stopped as he saw the scowls on both of our faces. He continued with a twinkle in his eye, "or as close to one as you can get. If after three days you have not found us, which you won't, you are to report back to the ship and we will return to the

Temple."

He glanced over to Qui-gon. "Have I forgotten anything?"

Master Qui-gon simply smiled and shook his head.

Master Siron continued. "Since Qui-gon and I have both prepared our packs, we will leave immediately. Best of luck and I hope to see you in three days."

With that, the two Jedi Masters left the lounge and it was just Kenobi and I. Only one thing to do. Thud. Thud. Thud.

"Nano, why are you banging you head against the table?"


	6. More Experiments with Gravity

**Disclaimer...George rules...I don't.**

**Undomiel9**

I saunter down the hallway of the Temple, humming softly, happy with the way the day has been progressing; not only had I been witness to one of Aeryn's most humbling moments, but I had also managed to pull off one of the greatest pranks in Temple history!

Boy, would Kenobi and Nano have a surprise waiting for them when they got back!

With that reminder, I begin to wonder what sort of mission the two young Padawans are on; as much as I love to get the occasional prank in, I'd hate to see anything happen to either of them. Well ... Kenobi could use a good swift kick every once in a while, but who couldn't?

With that thought still on my mind, I turn the corner to the cafeteria, lost in introspection and heedless of my surroundings. It is in precisely this manner that I bump headlong into my Master, nearly knocking the both of us over.

"Undomiel ..." she says admonishingly, straightening her robes. Well, there goes the good day.

"Yes Master?" I question, hoping to somehow redeem myself; I can tell by the look in Tralayn's eyes that nothing short of taking out an entire flock of mynocks single-handedly, unarmed, would accomplish this and heave a sigh.

Tralayn shakes her head and tuts disapprovingly, taking my braid from its tangled position at the top of my head to let it fall properly again. "Padawan. You must learn to be mindful. If you cannot sense a person barely two feet ahead of you, what can you sense?"

I hang my head and nod, once again wanting nothing more than to disappear. "Of course Master. It's just that ..."

"You were daydreaming. Yes Undomiel I know. I saw you." She responds, her tone firm, but not harsh. "There is a time and a place for dreaming ... and that is not in the middle of the day in public areas. Do you understand?"

I nod my head in compliance, feeling about the size of a wamprat. "Yes, Master." I say, fidgeting with my tunic. I notice that the hems are beginning to come undone, and I start to tug gently on the loose thread, hoping that Tralayn is done with her lecture.

"I was looking for you to remind you of our meeting tomorrow." The Jedi says, her eyes softening somewhat. "Do not forget. Three o'clock in the library."

I had completely forgotten about that! I nod my head swiftly, making a mental note to write that on my calendar when I get back to my quarters. "Of course." I say, smiling.

"Do not be late." Tralayn reinforces as she turns to walk back down the hallway; if the woman were the military sort, she would be excellent with new recruits. I sigh and continue on my journey to the cafeteria, every now and again running across a familiar face.

After stopping to talk with more than a few, I finally manage to make my way into the cafeteria, looking for Gabe. Padawans line the tables, munching happily as they discuss the latest news out of the Rishi Maze or the results of the Kessel Run. I finally manage to spot the little blond at a table near the window, huddled over a paper, not paying much attention to anything else; I stop at the beverage counter briefly to pick up two hot chocolates and set them down on the table with a thunk as I plop onto the bench next to him.

"Hello Undomiel." He says without even looking up. "You know I don't like mint in my hot chocolate."

I balk slightly, both amazed and annoyed that the boy doesn't even have to see me to know it's me. "Maybe it's not your hot chocolate that's got the mint in it." I counter, trying my best to keep a straight face.

"And you'd get mint, even though you're allergic, because ...?" He questions, finally pulling his eyes away from his paper; he looks up at me and smiles, making all thoughts I had of dumping the chocolate in his lap disappear.

"Oh, fine. I'll go get you a new one." I say, making to stand up and leave. "And here I thought I was being nice ..."

Gabe grabs my arm and pulls me back down to the bench, chuckling. "Leave it." He says, inching just a little closer and moving the paper in front of me. "I've got something you've just got to see!"

I bend over the paper, wondering what in the world could be so important that Gabe would give up ordering me to do something. As I read, I feel my jaw drop slightly and my eyes bug out of their sockets.

"No ..." I mutter disbelievingly.

"Yup." Gabe responds, nodding his head seriously.

**Cienanos**

Two hours later, Kenobi and I were standing in a clearing in the middle of the jungle. I was leaning against a tree watching the young Padawan examined the soft dirt under his feet. We had determined immediately that the two Masters had decided to stay together and work as a team rather than split up, at least for now.

We had followed a pretty good trail for about the last thirty minutes but then we hit a rough spot. The trail had suddenly grown cold. It was almost as if the two Masters had disappeared. I stood watching my partner for about five minutes before he rose and turned to me.

"I think that they went to our left," he stated. "The leaves of grass seemed to be slightly more disturbed. I would say they passed through here about…"

"Forty-five minutes ago," I replied.

I could see the surprise register on his face. "How did you know that?" he asked.

I shrugged, "I have my ways Kenobi. I have my ways."

He smiled, "Okay…keep your secrets. I think we should try to follow the trail as far as possible before dark. I don't think we will catch up with them today, however we still may be able to narrow the lead they have."

"Sounds good," I agreed and we headed in the direction of the path seemed to indicate. Even though it was still the middle of the day where we were, it was dark in the jungle. It almost seemed as if we were walking in twilight. The trees beside us stretched high up into the sky, their huge limbs reaching out and blocking out the sun. The ground beneath our feet was covered with a mixture of moss and a native grass. The air was musty with the smell of decaying plants. As we walked on, a soft rain began and the air was filled with the echo of raindrops hitting the leaves of the trees above our heads. The ground became slicker and our pace slowed as we tried to assure that we wouldn't fall. Kenobi was walking ahead of me as I finally decided to end the lull in our conversation.

"This is going to make it much more difficult to track them…however I wonder if…" Suddenly, I felt the ground give way under my feet and felt myself falling several feet. I winced as I hit the ground and felt a crack resonate through my leg. Pain shot through my body. I decided at that point that I truly hated gravity. I was in the middle of trying to clear my head and figure out if I was hurt when I heard Kenobi's voice call out from above.

"Nano? Are you alright? Nano?" he called.

I struggled to find my breath as another wave of pain rocked through my body. I clenched my teeth. I had to run through every Jedi relaxation technique I could think of before I was able to answer.

"I'm alive…that's a plus. But I can't really move my leg."

"Hold on. I'll be right there."

I kept trying to relax as I heard descending into the hole. He walked over to me and kneeled down beside me. I winced as he touched my leg. He carefully examined it and then stood up.

"Well…I guess we can camp here tonight. You aren't going anywhere for now. Your leg is broken."

**Undomiel9**

"Gabe, if we believe what this says, then everything we've believed about the Runik Civilazation up to this point has been a sham." I say, staring down at the paper in front of me. "Has anyone ever seen this in person to verify it?"

Gabe shakes his head and sighs. "No. No one's ever been able to find the outpost. The map says it's there, but it's so far out in the Delta Quadrant that no one really goes that way anymore ... and even if they did, it wouldn't be for something that would appear as dead end as this."

"I guess you're right, but ... I just don't understand why it hasn't been investigated before." I muse, sitting back against the plush seat and letting my shoulders slump. Gabe shakes his head and puts the map back into his pack, furrowing his brow thoughtfully.

"It's something that will have to wait until later." He says, looking at the clock. "Right now we've got Saber training."

I grimace and chug the remainder of my hot chocolate, setting the mug back down on the table with an unceremonious thunk; Gabe smirks and chuckles. "You could put some of the guys here to shame if you tried, you know."

"Yeah ... but what fun would that be? Then I'd have to live up to my potential." I counter, swinging my own pack over my shoulder and checking to make sure my lightsaber is in place. "Come on. We don't want to be late. I've already gotten the lecture from Master Nim once today ... I don't want to upset her again."

With that, the two of us head out of the common room, arms linked and laughing. The Temple is crowded beyond belief, both Padawans and Masters wandering the halls between classes, and discussing the finer points of Jedi life. For a moment, I get the strangest feeling that something is wrong, and I turn to Gabe with a frown.

"Hey ... has anyone mentioned that mission that Nano and Kenobi went on?" I ask, wondering.

Gabe raises an eyebrow and shrugs, his eyes showing both confusion and concern. "No. No one's mentioned it," he says. "Why?"

"I just ... I don't know. I just get the strangest feeling that something's gone wrong," I mutter, putting a hand to my forehead. "And knowing Nano, if something's gone wrong, it's with her."

Gabe laughs, the sound of which draws the attention of a group of Masters near the great staircase; I give Gabe a gentle tap to the shoulder, and he quiets, but turns to me, taking me by the shoulders and looking me straight in the eye. "Domie ... I understand your concern," he says, his eyes sparkling. "But I wouldn't worry. They're with Master Qui-gon and Master Siron. They'll be fine."

"I know ... I just can't help but feel that trouble's found them somehow." I mutter as we start back towards the sparring room. I grimace inwardly at the thought of having to fight; today just does not seem to be a good day for me to have a weapon in my hand, no matter who the adversary is. Confusion and trepidation run through my head, making it difficult to concentrate on anything, let alone fighting properly. With a deep breath, I follow Gabe into the sparring parlor and take a seat next to him near the back of the room. Moments later, Aeryn walks in, looking smug, her short blonde hair pulled back neatly and her tunic meticulously pressed into place.

"Oh, please," I mutter under my breath. "Could she be any more prissy?"

"Undomiel, that will be all," I hear Master Nim say as she enters the room from a door in the back of the room and glides gracefully past me; I roll my eyes and sulk next to Gabe, pulling my lightsaber off of my belt and fiddling with the hilt.

"I will be matching you up with new partners today, class." Master Nim announces from the center of the room. I sigh in relief and put my lightsaber on the ground using the Force to raise it to a vertical position. "First, we will have the Padawans Gabe and Aeryn," Nim continues, nodding to each of the young students in turn. Both stand from their seats on the floor, and move to the sparring circle, each looking as if their very lives were at stake. I give Gabe a hopeful smile as he approaches the thin green line on the floor, and wait to see what will happen.

Master Nim nods, and steps away from between the two fighters. "Begin!" She cries, throwing her hands into the air. Within seconds, the hiss of saber blade against saber blade fills the room, and the students are all watching, giddy with anticipation. Gabe parries nearly all of Aeryn's thrusts, slowly advancing and forcing her back out of the circle towards the wall. I sit up on my knees, near to cheering for my friend as he bests his opponent; suddenly, Aeryn looks from me, to Gabe, to the railing of the upper balcony above them, and a small smile forms on her face, curling ever so slowly on her lips. The young Padawan closes her eyes, and without warning, a piece of the upper railing breaks from the rest and comes crashing down, hitting Gabe squarely across the back and sending him to the floor in a heap.

Before I even realize what I am doing, my lightsaber flies into my hand and I flip it on, racing full speed towards the blonde-haired girl; the only thing I know is the anger and fury I feel for her at this point, and within seconds, I am unleashing blows left and right on her unsuspecting form. She is barely able to block my advance, and she hugs the wall behind her as if trying to disappear into its ceramic frame.

"UNDOMIEL!" I hear Master Nim cry, racing over and using the Force to pull my lightsaber from my hand. I crumple to my knees, not knowing entirely what happened, but knowing that there is no way the Council is going to let this pass unnoticed.

"Master Nim ..." I mutter, my head hanging. "She ..."

"Did nothing that would warrant that!" Master Nim chides, kneeling down next to Gabe; he groans softly as she helps him to a sitting position, and I can't help but be thankful that nothing worse happened.

"She brought down the railing on him!" I squeak, not knowing what else to say. "Didn't you see that?" Aeryn snickers from her place on the wall, and the Jedi Master just shakes her head.

"Accidents happen Undomiel," she says. "You cannot let your anger towards others drive you to see what does not exist. Now ... I suggest we go clear this up. The Council will not be pleased ..."

I let out a small cry as Master Nim takes my arm and leads me out of the sparring parlor, silently cursing myself for not keeping control. Looking back, I see Gabe still sitting on the floor, looking dazed as ever, and Aeryn standing behind him, snickering and waving as we leave. My heart sinks and I turn to follow the Jedi Master, knowing there is nothing good that could come of this.

**Cienanos**

The throbbing in my leg only increased as time passed. Propped up against the "wall" of my little discovery, I watched Kenobi climb back out of the hole to get our supplies. When he returned, he put a quick splint on my leg and began to set up the portable heater.

"I hope Master Qui-gon and Siron are having an easier time..." I said attempting to strike up a conversation.

"Oh..I'm sure they are fine. In fact...they are probably looking for us for a change. I'm sure they sensed something," he replied.

"I know. It's dark though. They would be foolish to try to make it through that jungle tonight. Most likely they will wait for morning."

"Well, all we need to do is make sure that we stay in one piece until they reach us."

"Easier said than done," I muttered as I attempted to rid myself of a new wave of pain assaulted my leg. I tried to summon up any and all healing techniques but nothing seemed to be working. I contented myself with closing my eyes and at least trying to look like I wasn't in pain. When I get back to civilization, I thought, the first thing I'm going to do is take a long bath. The second thing I'm going to do is sneak out of the Temple and get a nice strong drink. I think I've earned that little guilty pleasure. I sat there; trying to focus and listening to Kenobi try to coax the heater into working. Suddenly I heard a buzz and the smell of melted metal and wiring filled my nose. I opened my eyes to see Kenobi beating out the heater, which happened to be on fire, with his robe.

"Does this mean that dinner will be late?"

When the fire was out he looked back at me, "Just a little late...you stay here. I'll see if I can find some wood for a fire."

He climbed back out of the hole and went to look for some wood. After fifteen minutes, my leg began to feel better. As I sat there and stared at what was left of the heater, I wondered if I could start fixing it. I needed something to do. I picked up a survival light and attempted to pull myself up onto my good leg. I started to pull on what looked like a root but as I pulled, something came loose and almost fell on me. It looked like a small metal box...what type of metal I couldn't tell. It looked old...very old. What seemed to have been a lock at some point, looked like it had been smashed and the box opened easily (well...easily after and hour of smashing it with a rock). When I opened it, I saw another box. In this one was a holo cube. I looked it over. None of the markings appeared familiar. Maybe Kenobi would know what it was...or maybe Domie... I knew one thing though...this little mystery would be enough to get me through the next few hours of leg pain.


	7. Visions of the Past

**George owns it...two writers at this point...blah blah blah.**

**Undomiel**

There is no possible way to describe the sense of dread I feel as I follow Master Nim to the Council chambers; defending oneself more strongly than needed is one thing, attacking another student unprovoked is another matter altogether. I look to the elder Jedi as she opens the chamber door, stepping back to let me through.

"This is out of my hands." She says, shaking her head; I can see the disapproval in her face, and wince at the thought of disappointing her. Sighing, I take a step through the door and breathe deeply, preparing myself for the worst.

Seated around the room are the greatest of the Jedi, each chosen to be on the Council by virtue of their abilities with the Force. Master Windu and Master Yoda sit at the center of the circle, both looking stern and serious.

"Enter," Master Windu says, motioning to the area at the center of the Council ring; I do as I am told, taking my place and hanging my head. "What do you have to say for yourself, young Padawan?" He asks, his voice strong.

I look up to face him, my eyes wide, not knowing how to respond. "Master Windu, I ..." My voice trails off as I flounder to keep my thoughts coherent, and I drop my head again, finding the tips of my boots, brown and scuffed, strangely interesting.

"Let your emotions control you, you did," Master Yoda interjects, and I nod my head in agreement.

"But ... my friend was being hurt," I manage by means of explanation. "One of the other students was trying to injure him!"

Master Windu shakes his head and tuts disapprovingly. "Undomiel, your desire to protect your friend is truly noble, but what you did was out of bounds, even if this other student was attacking him, as you say."

My temper begins to rise as I stand amidst the circle; how could they not see that Aeryn had tried to not only injure, but incapacitate Gabe! My hands clench in fists as I try to control my breathing, concentrating on calming myself.

"Much anger I sense," Master Yoda says, breaking me from my introspection for the moment. I turn to face him, fighting between calm and rage, eyes blazing. "Control is the key, young Padawan."

Slowly, I begin to come back to myself, calming my nerves and breathing deeply. "Yes," I mutter, hanging my head in shame. I had just done it again; I had just let myself become angered at the slightest infraction, and with the Masters at that. What had I been thinking? With a sigh, I look up again to face the Masters, hoping to redeem myself. "What must I do?" I ask.

The Masters regard each other thoughtfully, their gaze showing understanding, as if this is not the first time this has happened. Well ... that MIGHT be an encouraging thought I think to myself as I wait for a reply.

"You will be required to perform extra meditation. Discover the root of your anger, and weed it out." Master Windu replies, nodding. I nod in return, and pivot on my heel to leave the room, somewhat relieved. "Undomiel," Windu calls, stopping me in my tracks.

"Remember ... anger can be more harmful than you realize."

"Yes, Master Windu," I respond; with that, I exit the room, making my way directly for the meditation rooms.

**Cienanos**

As I sat examining the cube and trying to find some way to activate it, I searched through my memory trying to remember if I had ever seen markings like that before. Each figure consisted of a maze of right angles intersecting each other. Could it be a numbering system? An intricate alphabet? Or some sort of hieroglyph that I couldn't decipher? All I new is that I began to feel more and more uneasy as I examined the cube. I felt myself slowly drift off to sleep. My eyes were growing heavier and heavier.

Slowly, the atmosphere around me morphed from the jungle pit to a harsh wasteland. At my eyes adjusted to this new scenery, made up of burnt trees and scorched earth, I saw figures in the distance. I felt as it I was floating towards these figures…moving faster and faster until I could see the outlines of four humanoids. Three men in black were leading a woman in vibrant green. She clutched a box, the same box that I had just smashed open. Tears were running down her face as the wind whipped her soft red hair behind her. She handed the box to the tallest of the men and whispered quickly what I thought were instructions but I couldn't be sure. He simply nodded at her and ran towards the black remains of a forest nearby.

Whatever force had drawn me towards the woman was now beginning to pull me back. I observed two more figures emerging over the horizon and my blood went cold. Sith. The wind around me whipped even more violently as the figures began to approach the woman and the two remaining figures in black. I rushed back faster and faster and the scene began to fade once again back into the jungle. I could only head the wind now…the wind and the screaming. I felt something grab me as the screaming continued. It was getting louder and louder as I just got colder. It was the feeling of murder. Cold-blooded rage and the desire to extinguish something pure from the universe. I had encountered it only once before on a mission with Master Siren but I would never forget its foul taste. The wind continued whipping around me, especially at my shoulder. I suddenly felt it stop, but the sensation in my shoulder continued. I fought to open my eyes.

Kenobi was crouched in front of me with his hand on my shoulder; there was a look of deep concern in his eyes. I looked past him to where the firewood was scattered on the floor of the pit. He must have dropped when he saw me or when he sensed my discomfort.

"Nano? Are you okay?" he asked.

I just stared at him blankly for a moment not knowing how to put what I was feeling into words.

"Nano," he said a little more urgently. "Are you okay? You're crying. What is it?"

I lifted my hand to my cheek and felt the dampness. What had happened? What was that? A vision? A bad dream? I tried to smile at Kenobi as I answered.

"I'm fine. I just…to be honest I have no idea what just happened. But I think it might have something to do with this holo cube that I just found. I was trying to get up and fix the heating unit when I accidentally uncovered this box…and it was in it. I was sitting here examining it and I must have fallen asleep. Kenobi, I don't know if I just had a dream but whatever it was very disturbing."

"How disturbing?"

I looked up at him; my eyes were filling with tears once again. I answered him with one word, "Sith." His features darkened as the realization of what I had just said hit him. He sat back on the ground and with his arms around his knees, just like a little boy. Then it suddenly struck me that he was sitting just as students had sat as we listened to dark stories of the Sith from the older padawans in the temple. The only difference was that then we had the security of knowing that they were just stories. That the Sith were something that past generations had to deal with…nothing we would have to face. I had no sense of that security now. He hung his head down, examining his hands for a long time before he spoke.

"You must tell Master Siron, if he doesn't already know…if he hasn't already felt your distress."

"I can't," I replied as I felt my denial began to build in my head but not in my heart. I was trying my best to silence every alarm that was going off in my head. I was trying to regain my composure and my confidence. "I don't know what it was. It was most likely a dream, a nightmare caused by the stress of my fall…or of your attempt at cooking."

"Nano, Jedi Knights don't have dreams. They have visions of the past or of the future."

I smiled at him gently and reached forward. I held his hand in mine as I replied, "Well, lucky for us I'm not a Jedi Knight yet."

He smiled back. "I think you should still tell Master Siron."

"Well, maybe I should do a little investigating on my own. Let me have a little time to see what I can uncover about this artifact. It has to have some connection to all of this." I felt stupid stating the obvious but as I talked, a plan began to emerge in my head.

"How are you going to identify it? I mean who, besides Jocasta Nu, will be able to identify it at the Temple?"

My smile got wider. "I have my ways…I have my connections."

"Domie?"

"Domie."

He stood up and began to gather up all of the wood. I watched as with skill, he began to coax a fire from the wood. I went through my bag and began to look for the rations I had packed. As I slowly unpacked the rations, we continued to talk and exchange ideas about what the artifact might just be. I hadn't realized that I had still been shivering until the heat from the fire began to warm our underground camping site. I also hadn't realized my leg hadn't bothered me for some time either. At least I was right about one thing. The mystery of the artifact had distracted me for a while.

We took turns sleeping and "standing guard". Kenobi, at first, had insisted on staying up all night because he thought I was in no condition to stay awake and that I needed rest. I responded with my own articulate argument that he was being a "half-brained dung salesman" and that I was perfectly capable of staying awake and screaming for help if any danger emerged. He then attempted another articulate argument and I was forced to reiterate my point by hurling a hunk of mud at him.

As he slept, I scooted close to the fire to tend it. I knew that morning would be coming any time now. I looked up out of the pit and saw that dawn was beginning to break. I passed more time by scavenging through my bag and founding some more rations. I pulled them out and thought to myself that they would make a good breakfast while we waited for our Masters to find us. I then pulled out the holo cube again and sat staring trying to unlock its secrets once again. Once again I became lost in the cube. I lost track of the time.

"Still no profound idea of what it is for?" Kenobi asked, his head still beneath his blanket and his question startling me.

"Nope."

"So you didn't have any brilliant discoveries during the night?"

"Just one. You snore."

There was a chuckle beneath the blanket.

"Don't laugh. It took all the energy and discipline in me not to smother you while you slept."

"See Siron. I told you that they wouldn't kill each other," Master Qui-gon's voice rang out from above. I had never seen Kenobi jump up that fast in my life.

Master Siron glanced down into the pit and looking at my broken leg and the remains of the heater, he replied, "Well, it sure looks like they tried."

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at Kenobi and we both broke out into big smiles. "Have you ever noticed how everyone happens to think that they are a comedian?"


	8. Home Sweet Home

**George owns it all. Still two writers...**

**Undomiel**

Alright. Extra meditation. That wasn't so bad. At least I hadn't been kicked out of the Academy ...

"You're still here, are you?" I hear Aeryn's mocking voice call from behind me; I roll my eyes and continue down the corridor to my room, doing my best to ignore the girl. "I'm surprised," She continues, quickening her pace to match mine. "Usually they get rid of Padawans like you early on."

I take a deep breath and bite my lip, thinking before I open my mouth to respond. "Well ... they didn't this time." I say flatly, hoping to simply bore Aeryn into leaving. She snickers and shakes her head, running around to stand in front of me.

"You know ... no one ever said the Masters were perfect." she giggles, leaning up against the wall and tossing her hair back out of her face.

Oooh, if I could just get one swift punch in ... I think to myself, my eyes narrowing at the sight of Aeryn's wicked smile. "No ... they didn't." I respond instead, moving to pass around her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some things to do." I add as I duck beneath her arm; she takes my shoulder and stops me mid move, her eyes flashing.

"Watch your back, Undomiel." she hisses. "You didn't get kicked out this time ... but just wait." With that, she shoves me to the floor and stalks off, looking like a triumphant snake.

"I'm shaking with nerves ..." I mutter, picking myself up. Sighing, I dust off the tunic and try to decide what my next destination should be. After short debate, I begin to make my way to the infirmary to find Gabe; I only hope that he's more coherent than he was when I left him.

**Cienanos**

The walk back to the ship went relatively well. Master Siron and Master Qui-gon each took one of my arms to support me as I hobbled along. Kenobi followed lugging my bag.

I spent most of the time thinking about the artifact and did not say anything. I was so lost in thought that I didn't see the mischievous glance that the two masters exchanged. It took me about an hour to catch on.

"Okay, that's enough," I said. "I'm not THAT heavy."

Siron looked at me with complete innocence. "Whatever do you mean Nano?"

"The grunting that you two have been doing. I am not that heavy."

Qui-gon looked questioningly at Siron. "Were we grunting? I hadn't noticed."

I glanced over my shoulder to see Kenobi shaking with silent laughter. Oh that's just nice!

"Kenobi!" I growled. "Keep it up..."

He simply smiled and said, "I'm not too worried. I know where you have been this whole time so I don't have to worry about my room being flooded."

I sighed. How true. It would be nice to get back to the peace of the temple, to get back to my nice warm bed. I contented myself with that thought the rest of the walk back.

If the walk back to the ship was uneventful, the trip back home was downright boring. Master Qui-gon and Kenobi piloted the ship while my master continued treating my leg. He told me that like we had suspected, he and Qui-gon had sensed my fall but were caught in the middle of one the planet's frequent afternoon storms. They were not able to start back to find us and had been forced to seek shelter. They decided to start back the next morning a few hours before dawn. He said nothing about sensing my emotions during my dream and I said nothing about it. Instead we simply talked about the training mission.

"Well," I said. "At least it was interesting."

He nodded. "Too bad we didn't accomplish what we set out to do."

I looked at him with surprise, "But we did! We may not have done it in the most straight forward manner but we did it all the same."

He raised an eyebrow, the familiar twinkle returning to his eyes. "And how did you do that?"

"Well, Kenobi and I may not have cooperated and found you but we still worked together. Sort of..."

A smile spread across his face, "Exactly my padawan. Exactly. You and he both looked out for each other."

"Well, he looked out for me more than I looked out for him."

"But you may have to look out for him someday...and now you can. There may just be hope for you yet, Nano."

**Undomiel**

I peeked my head around the corner of the infirmary, my forehead wrinkling as I saw Gabe lying on the bed, his head wrapped in bandages.

"Hey you ..." I whispered; with a grimace, he turned to face me, his eyes lighting somewhat when he realized his visitor wasn't yet another one of the Masters come to check on him.

"Hi," he croaked, propping himself up on an elbow. I walked in and sat at the foot of the bed, smiling weakly.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, looking at the wrappings.

He shrugged and chuckled. "Only like I've been crushed by a herd of stampeding wamprats ... so I'm ok."

I shook my head and laughed, glad that he at least had a sense of humor about the situation. "And what about you?" he asked.

"Eh ... it's ok. I haven't been kicked out, so that's always a good sign, right?" I offered, relaxing back against the rail with a sigh.

"Who's getting kicked out? What's going on?" Kenobi's voice broke into the conversation. I looked to the doorway to see the Padawan, his arm slung underneath Nano's, helping her as she limped into the infirmary.

My eyes went wide and I shot up from the bed, nearly falling as I did so. "Nano! Are you alright?" I asked, rushing over, looking scathingly at Obi-Wan as I did so.

"I'm fine ..." she said, climbing up into the bed next to Gabe. "Now what's going on with you?"

**Cienanos**

I sat on the bed listening to Domie tell her story. Domie was well known throughout the Temple for her running ability and her speed. The truly astonishing thing though was the fact that her mouth can go about as fast as her legs. I finally had to break into the story.

"Hold on, Domie…let me get this straight. She attacked Gabe, so you went after her. And the masters assigned you extra meditation?"

"Right," she replied.

I looked at Kenobi, who just shrugged.

"Domie," I said. "Why are you worried about this? Okay, sure. What she did to Gabe was pretty bad, but you have to realize, she isn't a Jedi yet. She can still be forced out of the program."

"But, I had to do extra meditation…the masters think…"

"Domie, Nobody knows what they are thinking most of the time. You can't worry about it. You are still here. Besides, I can't count the number of times that I've been given extra meditation. We've all been in trouble at one time or another. It's how you learn from the experience that matters."

Domie glanced at Kenobi. "Not all of us have been in trouble."

Kenobi and I exchanged confused glances before we realized what she was saying. We both burst out laughing at the same time.

"Domie…I've been in trouble," he said with a smile. "I actually LEFT the order for a little bit. I didn't think they were going to take me back. But they did. Don't worry. You don't have to pack your bags yet."

Domie and Gabe stared at him in disbelief. I looked at him, "I thought everyone knew that story! Well, you learn something new everyday. OW!" I winced as my attention was once again brought back to my injury by the medical tech droid working on it.

I watched the droid work for a moment before I continued, "Domie…Gabe…we all have weaknesses…"

"Nano's is gravity," Kenobi interrupted.

"BUT," I continued shooting Kenobi a deadly look, "but we all work to overcome them."

When the droid finished, I stood up and tested my weight on the injury. Not bad…I could at least walk.

"Now if you will excuse me. I think I'm going to get cleaned up and get some rest."

"I think I'll do the same, Nano. I'll walk with you." Kenobi said.

Domie and Gabe both smiled as we left. Kenobi and I walked from the infirmary towards the dormitory. We made small talk as we did so basically talking about how much we were looking forward to a decent meal and a good night's rest. As we reached Kenobi's quarters, I thanked him for his help and told him I would see him at dinner. Then I strode off towards my quarters.

I was feeling pretty good as I reached my door. My leg was feeling stronger and stronger. Then…I opened my door. I'm not exactly sure how much water washed over me. Some of the Padawan's estimated that it must have been a wave about 5 feet high…others say 6. All I know is…I got knocked off of my feet by an extremely LARGE wave of water. I fought my way into my quarters to check the environmental controls and THEN I realized what had happened. KENOBI! How stupid I had been. He had been so nice to me all the while he was stabbing me in the back. Soaked to the bone I headed back down the hall…only to encounter a strange creature about half way to Kenobi's quarters. It took me a while to realize that it was actually Kenobi…covered in…I actually had no clue what it was, but it didn't look pleasant. He looked at me. I looked at him. Then we both realized what had happened.

"DOMIE!"


	9. Sweet Revenge and Hard Alcohal

**George owns it all...not me. This is the point at the story where I became the primary writer. If you hate it...it's all me at this point. :)**

**Cienanos**

Kenobi and I headed down the hall. I looked behind us and noticed that I was dripping a trail of water and he was dripping a trail of…whatever. I suddenly stopped…a large smile spreading across my face. Kenobi stopped and looked at me.

"What is it?"

"I just had an interesting idea…a very interesting idea."

Kenobi smiled. "Interesting as in…getting even with Domie interesting?"

"Exactly."

"I'm in. What do we need to do?"

"Well…for starters. You need to hit the showers. I can get by being wet…but that…stuff has to go."

Kenobi looked down at his tunic and at the trail that he had left behind on the carpet. "I guess you are right."

"You get cleaned up. I'll take care of Domie."

I watched as Kenobi left and walked back down the hall. This was going to be too easy. I walked towards he infirmary and caught up with Domie just as she was leaving. She looked shocked as she saw my dripping wet form.

"Domie…. look at this. Can you believe this? I can't believe he did it…actually I don't know how he did it."

"What are you talking about Nano?" Domie asked trying not to look too guilty.

"Kenobi! Look at what he did! Oh…when I get my hands on him!"

"Nano…you don't know that he..."

"DOMIE!" I interrupted. "Who else could it have been? It had to be him. But I'm going to get him. And you are going to help me."

"I am?" she asked.

"Yes…and I've got the perfect idea."

Fifteen minutes later we stood outside the men's shower staring at the door. I turned to Domie.

"You understand the plan? We both go in…grab the clothes and…"

"Run," she finished. "Run fast."

"Good. Let's go."

We glanced down the hall to make sure that nobody was coming and crossed the hall. I triggered the door release and waved Domie to go in first. She glanced reluctantly at me but I gestured more urgently. She sighed and rushed in. I hurried and sealed the door. I rushed back across the hall and grabbed my holo recorder and hid behind a plant. What followed was a very panicked Domie sprinting out of the bathroom clutching Kenobi's clothes being chased by a very shocked…and barely covered (thank goodness for towels) Kenobi. I only got about fifteen seconds of footage but it was enough. I love my work…I really do. As I let out a sigh of contentment I sprinted in the opposite direction.

After circling around the floor and checking with the computer, I found out that Domie had retreated back into her quarters. I put on my best look of innocence as I approached the room and found Kenobi (towel and all) standing guard outside her door.

"Aren't you chilly?" I asked.

He blushed and pointed at the door. "I am…but unfortunately…she has all my clothes."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's odd. I'll tell you what. I'll go in and get your clothes if you promise to go back to your quarters."

He sighed as a younger padawan walked by and gave the two of us a strange look. "Okay. Just please hurry."

I smiled. "Keep your towel on."

He rolled his eyes as he walked away. I turned towards Domie's door and lightly touched the chime.

"Who is it?"

"It's Nano. Can I come in?"

The door opened and Domie looked around quickly and ushered me in.

"I though you said he would be in the shower!"

"You mean he wasn't?"

"NO! He was there…..just…with….none! NO CLOTHES! Nothing! down! I'll take care of it. Just give me his clothes…and his lightsaber and I'll return them to him."

"He already has his lightsaber."

I rolled my eyes and picked up the metal cylinder on his belt. "I meant THIS lightsaber."

Wow…I never though someone could turn that shade of red. Interesting. I walked out the door and returned the clothes to Kenobi…wow…two people who can turn that color.

"Soooo….I take it that this was your great idea."

"Yup"

"You managed to embarrass Domie."

"Yup"

"By having me sprint through half the temple half naked."

"Yup."

"Nano…how is that fair to me?"

"Kenobi…genius isn't fair. It just is."

I left him staring blankly back at me. I walked back to my quarters to clean up. Sometimes greatness is hard. But at least it's fun.

**Cienanos**

That night I started to dream. At first everything was just black. However, I soon found myself on the same desolate planet. The wind whipped around me and in the distance heard sobbing. I turned slowly trying to see who it was that was crying. I couldn't see anyone. It was at that moment I realized I wasn't wearing my usual training robes. I was wearing a simple white dress. My feet were bare and they felt wet. I looked down to see a small pool at my feet. The pool was growing wider and wider as I watched it. I squinted, my eyes and in the surreal landscape could barely make out the reddish color of the liquid. Blood!

I awoke with a start. Swat was dripping down my forehead. I got out of bed and walked down the hall to one of the bathrooms. I splashed water on my face and breathed deeply as the cool liquid ran down my cheek and dripped off my chin. I looked at my face in the mirror. I examined my flushed cheeks and the dark circles forming under my eyes. How could I look so old and so young at the same time? As I rinsed off my face again, I raised my head and examined those circles once again. They betrayed me and spoke of my need for sleep. I knew however, that I would not be getting any more rest tonight. I walked slowly back to my quarters and tried to figure out what time it was. It wasn't until I got back to my room and looked at the chrono that I realized morning was still a good five hours away. I dressed and contemplated what to do. Well, I had promised myself a good drink back on Lohen. I slipped back out of my room quietly and made my way towards one of the lesser-known Temple exits.

Once out of the Temple, I reveled in the cool night air. As I made my way towards my destination, I thought about all the other Padawans back at the Temple. They would be fast asleep, enjoying some much needed rest. I felt a momentary twinge of jealousy, I really needed some sleep. This quickly subsided though because I loved Coruscant at night! The people scuttling to and fro even in the middle of the night, the lights trying to lure people into various establishments, the transports lined up along the lanes, they made me feel rejuvenated. Some people felt at peace in the untouched wilderness of some uninhabited planet. But this was my wilderness, this was were I was at peace. Give me a jungle of durasteel and I am happy beyond belief.

Twenty minutes later I was sitting in my favorite little establishment drinking something that would make Yoda frown and Siron furious. As I sipped on my drink, I watched the various creatures in the room. I had always loved to people watch and I marveled at how much emotion one could see in a given day, if they look close enough that is. There was a couple in a dark corner that seemed to be displaying a genuine "affection" for each other. There was also a gentleman near the door, pilot by the look of him, who seemed very unhappy. I found myself drawn to him and I sat contemplating why he looked so sad. Had he lost a friend? Or maybe a family member? Or even a lover? These questions consumed me. A familiar voice rocked me out of my thoughts though.

"Is this seat taken?"

I looked up to se Master Qui-gon Jinn pointing to the seat across from me. I shook my head no as I thought to myself, "It had been a good life…I don't think I'll have any regrets when Siron kills me." Then I remembered what had happened to Kenobi only a few short hours ago and thought, "Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Master Qui-gon will kill

me." As these thoughts racked my brain, the Jedi master made himself comfortable in the chair across from me. A waiter scurried over to take his order. Before I could say anything he had said, "I'll have what she's having." The waiter fled back into the shadows before I could correct the Jedi Master. Something told me that he didn't in fact want what I was having. It was at this point that I realized my mouth was still open. I took a sip of my drink that set it down gently. Master Jinn glanced casually around the establishment with a look of serenity. Finally, his eyes settled on me.

"A little late to be out, isn't it?" he asked.

"I was having trouble sleeping. I needed some fresh air." I replied.

"Oh…is that what this drink is called?" he asked as the waiter reappeared with a glass for the Jedi Master. He thanked the man and took a large sip. His eyes bulged out dramatically and he had almost dropped the glass back on the table when the coughing began. He barely managed to swallow the concoction. When he had regained control of his senses he stared at me.

"What is in that THING?"

"Do you really want to know?"

He eyed me for a moment before replying. "No, I don't imagine I do. So tell me Nano, why the trouble sleeping?"

"Nightmares."

"Were they bad?"

"Yup"

"And you couldn't get back to sleep?"

"Nope"

"So you went for a walk and ended up here?"

"Yup"

"And you are going to answer every question I ask with a one word answer?"

"Yup"

He stared at me for a moment. Then a slow smile spread across his face.

"Nano, has anyone ever informed you that you are unlike any other Padawan at the Temple."

I pretended to ponder the question for a moment and then replied, "Actually, I hear it pretty much everyday."

He looked surprised, "Really?"

"Sometimes twice a day."

"Twice a day?"

"Yup."

"Remarkable"

"I know"

"So…did you ever get my Padawan's clothes back for him?"

I finished the rest of my drink and looked the Jedi Master in the eye.

"Yes, yes I did."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. The boy looses the strangest things," the older man stated with a twinkle in his eye.

I smiled, "He looses his clothes often then?"

"Oh yes, he's quite the little nudist," the Jedi Master explained with a deadpan expression.

The whole situation was too much for me. I started laughing. Qui-gon joined in and neither of us stopped until we had tears streaming from our eyes. Over at their table, the affectionate couple had stopped kissing long enough to watch in amazement. Two Jedi were laughing hysterically! In a seedy bar! In the middle of the night! Only on Coruscant!


	10. The Nighmare of Routine

**Have I mentioned that all of the characters belong to George? **

Note: From this point on...all of the story was written from the perspective of Cienanos. My partner in crime had to graduate from college and find a real job. Sad really...but anyway...back to our story.

**Cienanos**

When I returned to the temple I realized that I still had an hour before everyone else would be awake and going about their daily routine. I thought that I would spend the hour doing some much needed meditation. As I rounded the corner on my way to my room I saw Amatu striding in my direction. She had a bad of supplies slung over her shoulder. She saw me and smiled as she approached.

"Another late night?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I needed to get out and clear my head."

"Well, don't clear it too much or you will have one nasty headache during breakfast. And don't make me remind you of the whole vomiting factor..."

"Don't start..."

"You know...best cure if that does come up is to put some Algarian moss in a glass of Suha juice..."

My stomach started to churn and an unpleasant sensation started to form in my throat as she continued:

"Yeah...and make sure you eat it with a nice lump of fat. That should calm any trouble down...but make sure you..."

"Okay, stop there." I gestured towards her bag. "And where are we going so early in the morning?"

"Just another mission. Got to leave early."

I looked at her shocked and a bit hurt. "You going alone?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"I wonder why the council always lets you go on missions alone but I never get sent on them."

"I'm competent."

"Oh…very funny. Fine...go..." I said as we started to go our separate directions. I looked at her making her way down the hall. "But one of these days I will get to go!"

"Nano...when that happens...remind me to quit the order."

I smiled as my friend disappeared through the doorway at the end of the hall. She would find some adventure on her next mission. All I would find is my empty quarters and an inability to meditate.

During the next week I found myself falling into a bit of a routine. Lessons with Master Siron, meditation, lightsaber exercises, and more dreams. I began to dread going to sleep. I would often sneak out of my quarters and spend much of the night watching the fountains until sleep would finally demand my attention. Each morning I woke feeling more tired than the day before. I knew that it was becoming obvious to others in the Temple that something was wrong. I could see concern growing on Master Siron's face. Finally, I decided to seek the help of the healers. After a brief exam, I was released back to my duties with the instructions to try and get more sleep. Great. Just what I wanted, to be thrust back into the landscape of blood and fear. After spending an afternoon trying to meditate, I gave up and went to dinner early.

I was sitting at a table poking at my food when Kenobi found me.

"Nano...you look awful!" he said, his voice full of shock.

"Thanks Kenobi, with charm like that, you are sure to win the hearts of ladies across the galaxy."

"Are you sick?"

"Really, I can't stand all this flattery! You better stop those sweet words or people will think you are trying to court me."

His only response was to stare at his plate, his face full of worry.

I set my fork down, "Kenobi, I'm sorry. I'm fine. The healers checked me over. They just say that I need some sleep."

"Maybe you would get some more sleep if you weren't walking the halls at all hours."

I looked into his eyes. "How did you know I haven't been in my room at night?"

His gaze returned to his plate. That's when I knew. He had been following me. As if reading my mind, he glanced up and said, "It hasn't just been me. Domie has been worried as well."

I tried to shrug the matter off. "I don't know what everyone is worried about. I'm fine. I've been acting like myself."

"I beg to differ Nano. My room hasn't been covered in mud in a week, a clear indication that you haven't been up to your old tricks."

I smile weakly, I knew I had to tell someone. "I just didn't want to tell Master Siron. He's already worried enough about me..."

"You can tell me Nano."

I sighed and began telling him about the nightmares. He interrupted me occasionally to ask a question but mainly listened quietly. When I had finished, we sat quietly staring at our plates. I think we were both lost in thought, otherwise I think we would have heard Domie approach.

"I've got something!" she said as she slammed several datapads on the table. I was so startled my fork flew out of my hand and clattered on the try of a passing padawan. The padawan looked startled and hurried away, glancing back at me fearfully. Kenobi caught my eye, "Don't worry, he's twenty-six. He'll get over it."


	11. Legacy of the Sith

George rules…I don't. Nano is mine…Domie belongs to Deb….other than that…it's all George.

Cienanos

Domie sat down at the table and began shuffling through her datapads while muttering to herself. Kenobi and I just sat there looking expectantly at her while patiently waiting for her to find what she needed. I saw her blond friend Gabe out of the corner of my eye and nudged Kenobi. He waved the boy over.

"Morning!" he said cheerfully as he sat down. "Domie, what are you looking for?"

"Oh! Gabe! When did you get here? Oh…never mind. My notes from the library. Remember, I was looking through them last night while you were in my quarters?"

My eyebrows shot up. Now this was interesting. "Uh…say again Domie?"

Kenobi smirked besides me, "I think we have a budding romance happening here, Nano."

Gabe, force love him, looked confused and blissfully ignorant about what we were saying. Domie, on the other hand, caught our meaning immediately.

"Oh for Force sake! There is not! And even if there where, it wouldn't be the first romance occurring around here," she said looking significantly between Kenobi and myself.

Kenobi looked shocked and I just burst out laughing. "Don't be ridiculous Domie! Me and Kenobi…Sith spit…talk about strange couples." Kenobi began to laugh also.

"Besides, everyone knows that it's Kenobi and Siri that will end up being a couple," I added wickedly. Ah…there was that all too familiar blush of his.

"Nano, Siri and I are just friend."

"So far…" I muttered.

"HERE IT IS!" Domie shouted. Heads all over the common area snapped in our direction.

"Domie," I hissed. "Maybe a little bit louder next time. I don't think the people on Alderaan heard you."

"Sorry," she whispered. "Here it is. I think I might have a clue as to what your artifact is. You see here, according to these texts, Lohen was once part of the Runik Civilization. It was one of their outposts."

"Of course!" Kenobi cried. He turned to me, "The Runik civilization existed during the dawn of the Republic. They had several outposts scattered along what was then the edge of Republic space. They were known as a just and civilized people. They stressed justice and knowledge above all else."

Domie continued, "They became a stabilizing force in the galaxy while the Republic was forming. They provided technology, medicine, culture, and countless other pieces of knowledge to others. They believed that it was their duty to help less advanced cultures grow and thrive. Some say it was the presence of this older civilization, this stabilizing force, that allowed the Republic grow during its early years."

Gabe looked at Domie confused, "Okay, so if they were so important and so advanced why didn't they survive? I mean what happened?"

"And why don't people know about them now?" I added.

Kenobi shrugged, "They fell victim to what many great civilizations fall victim to…infighting, corruption, and of course, external forces."

I looked at him surprised, "You mean they were attacked after all that they had done for these other civilizations?" I shuddered to myself. "I hope the Republic didn't have anything to do with it."

Kenobi shook his head, "No, not directly. But remember, this was a time when the Sith were strong. If I remember correctly, the Sith wanted Runik technology and they would stop at nothing to get it. You see, the Runiks provided a great deal of their technology to the Republic, but not all of it. They were afraid that some of their most advanced work might fall into Sith hands."

"So what happened to the Runiks?" Gabe asked.

Domie visibly shuddered, "The civilization fell. Slowly, the Sith took over Runik worlds. They enslaved the people and hunted down anyone who had knowledge of Runik technology. In short, they slaughtered them."

We all sat there trying to absorb the information that Domie and Kenobi had provided us. Finally, I had to speak, "Okay, so Lohen was an outpost. That would explain my dreams. But what is on the holo cube? I haven't been able to activate it."

Domie shrugged, "Gabe, your better at technology than I am. What do you think?"

Gabe pulled some fruit out of his pocket and began to munch thoughtfully. "Well, I looked it over. The only thing that I can tell so far is that it doesn't activate like other holo cubes. It's almost like you need a key to open it – or activate it."

Kenobi frowned, "But that still doesn't prevent it from affecting Nano. And why does it only affect her? I was there when she found it. I haven't had any strange visions or dreams."

"You aren't as smart as me?" I added helpfully.

Kenobi responded by throwing a piece of his bread at me. "In your dreams Nano!"

"Kenobi!" I responded doing my best to look shocked. "Don't you know that the only things in my dreams are Sith and people from an ancient civilization."

Gabe snorted. "Anyway," I added as I pushed myself up. "Whatever this is, we aren't going to solve it over breakfast. I don't know about you, but if I'm for my lessons, Master Siron will be very grumpy."

We all cleaned up our dishes and headed our separate ways. My mind was running at the speed of light as I headed down the corridor. What did it all mean…?

I winced as I tried to deflect another lightsaber blow. Sweat dampened my forehead as I heard my master say, "Again!"

I assumed a classic defensive position and awaited his next attack. I tried my hardest to concentrate but my body was weary and I could barely keep my position. He lunged forward and swung with his lightsaber. I managed to deflect him but the blow sent me backpedaling. I was not able to regain my balance and I crashed to the flow. My deactivated lightsaber clattered to the floor next to me. I blinked dumbly and tried to refocus my attention. What was wrong! I was failing basic maneuvers I had perfected when I was twelve.

I looked up to see my master striding forward with deep concern on his face. He squatted next to me.

"Nano, are you ill?" he asked, gently touching my cheek. I shook my head, unable to answer him verbally and control the floodgates of emotion building inside me.

His eyes searched my face, trying to read my soul. "What is it child?" He hadn't called me that in a long time...I took a deep breath and shook my head.

"I don't know. I'm so tired. I can't sleep at night; I can't concentrate during the day. I…I feel panicked all the time…as if something is rushing towards me and I know I can't fight it. Master, I don't know what to do." I had spoken barely above a whisper but I knew that he had heard everything I had said. I just sat there looking at the floor hoping it would all just go away. I heard the soft rustling of his robes as I felt him take me in his arms. He held me like a father holds his child, I felt the floodgates open and began to cry, silently at first but then in loud sobs. All the pain transferred to me by the dreams began to come out.

He sat there and held me close to him until I stopped. Then he brushed my hair out of my face and kissed me gently on the forehead, "Don't worry my child…we will find an answer. We will make it all better." Somehow, I knew we would.

I spent the next two days "resting" in the infirmary. The healers ran me through another battery of tests to see if there was something physical causing my condition. My master stayed by my side, reading through the research that Domie had provided. He had asked Jocasta Nu to assist Domie with additional research in the hopes that the two would find some indication of the importance of the holo cube. He would only be persuaded to leave if someone else was there to keep me company. Usually, Domie, Gabe, or Kenobi would show up and relieve him so he could get some sleep. I knew that he was worried despite the reassuring words he had spoken two days before. I wondered if he was getting any sleep and asked Kenobi about it late one evening when he came to visit me.

"He's not getting any rest is he?" I asked.

Kenobi looked at the floor. This was a good indication that he was trying to formulate a diplomatic answer. "Well, I know he is sleeping."

"Just not enough," I replied, reading into Kenobi's answer.

"He's worried Nano."

"I know, but he needs rest too. Here, give him one of these history texts Domie brought me."

Kenobi looked shocked, "Domie expects you to research in your condition?"

"No…she thought they would be 'fun' reading…you know…to relax me."

Kenobi chuckled softly, "Did it work?"

"Well…one put me to sleep. You don't get much more relaxed than that. I threw another against a wall…that was relaxing. Other than that…no." I sighed. "You know…it's times like these…laying here…hooked to force knows what monitors…that make me long for a simpler life."

"Really! For some reason, I can't see you living a simpler life."

"Oh…I can. Traveling across the galaxy…smuggling Spice and Death sticks."

"NANO!"

"Working as a mercenary…you know…simple."

"Well, supposed it would be too much to ask for you to settle down."

"Please Kenobi! The Council has already forbid me to procreate. Can you imagine five or six little Nanos running around?"

Kenobi snorted, "Can you imagine five or six little Nanos at the Temple? Master Yoda would finally retire!"

I smiled at the thought. "But instead, here I am…surrounded by medical droids, healers and dreaming of dead Sith…at least I hope they are dead."

"Nano…the Sith have been gone for many years now."

"Kenobi, I have always believed that true evil never dies. It simply changes form."

"Hey, well at least you have me," he said with a wicked grin.

"Not helping, Kenobi, not helping."

"Nano…"

"What?"

"Go to sleep."


End file.
